Reunion

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I woke as the train stopped, and looked out the window at the familiar landscape of Portorosso. I jumped up out of my seat and ran off the train. Standing there, waiting for me, was Alberto. I charged him and tackled him to the ground, giving him a huge hug. 

"I missed you so much!" He laughed and returned the hug

"I missed you too!" we stood, and I looked behind him, seeing my parents and Massimo standing there, smiling. I rushed to my parents and hugged them tightly.

"It's so good to see you! How is everything back home?"

"It's fine Luca." My Mom said, smiling.  "How was school?"

"It was great! I learned so much!" I turned to Giulia, who was talking to Massimo, and then back to Alberto. "Did Ercole bother you much?" He'd grown taller, and his skin had gotten darker from all the time he'd spent in the sun.

"I can handle him." Alberto said, thumping his chest proudly with his fist I laughed and said

"Yeah, okay." He smiled shyly and said

"Here, I made you something." he held out his hand. In it, he held a small wooden Vespa figurine.  

"Woah! You made this? It's amazing!" I studied it closely. The detail on the figure was incredible. 

"Yeah, Massimo gave me a knife for my birthday, and I carved it for you."

"Thank you!" I hugged him again. and I could feel my cheeks heating. I stepped back and said, "Come on, let's go for a swim!" Laughing, we ran to the cliff by the train tracks, diving towards the sea below. The late afternoon sunlight glimmered off the water as we plunged below the surface. We swam to the island, where we had first become friends and Alberto had introduced me to the great invention of the Vespa. we got out of the water and shook ourselves dry. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!"

"What is it?"

"I figured out what it means!" He gave me a confused look and I grabbed his hand, copying the old handshake he had taught me last summer. "Pleased to meet you, My name is twisty trombone!" he laughed and said

"Really? That's what it means?"

"Yeah!" 

"I can't believe you remembered."

"Anything for my best friend!" We spent the rest of the night catching up, and after a while, he dozed off with his head on my shoulder as I gazed up at the stars. Smiling, I thought about how cute he looked while he was asleep and we fell asleep together under the blanket of the glowing stars above.

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